Control for electric track switches



Nov. 24, 1942 s. s. STOLP 2,302,898

CONTROL FOR ELECTRIC TRACK SWITCHES Filed May 18, 1940 Q Hi T v FLg.1.

TROL LE Y WHEEL )COMPRESSOR LIGHTS HEATER Fig. 2.

INVENTOR SAMUEL S. STOLP ywzwm,

ATTORN EY Patented Nov. 24, 1942 UNITED STATES l PATENT OFFICE 2,302,898CONTROL ELECTRIC TRACKSWITCHES Samuel S. Stolp, Louisville, Ky.,assignor to Cheatham Electric Switching Device 00., Incorporated,Louisville, Ky., a, corporation of Kentucky 4 Claims.

My invention relates to electric railway switch tongue electricallyactuated operator and particularly to' the automatic control of theelectric apparatus governing the operation therefor after themotorma-nhas set the apparatus to guide his vehicle in the selected course.

An object of my invention is to provide an improved electric controlsystem to insure more definite operation of all apparatus affected bythe system.

Another object resides in providing enduring control apparatus so as tominimize service calls and to reduce the time required to efi'ectrepairs when necessary. "This embraces reducing electrical erosion atthe trolley contactor and providing competent electrical contacts andrelays for operating same.

This invention should be regarded as an improvement in relation to theelectrical control system disclosed in United States Patent No.1,736,801. It'can be used also in connection with the trolley frogtongue operators.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a circuit diagram illustrating an electrical control systemembracing the incident invention as applied to an electric railway-trackswitch tongue operator such-as is commonly used for electric railways,some of the mechanical parts and apparatus being represented byconventional symbols.

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic representation of the electrical equipmentcarried by a vehicle.

I This apparatus is preferably used in connection with the conventionalsystem known as power on" or power ofi, which means the current flowingto the motor of thepropelling vehicle while a collector, suchas'a'trolley'wheel or shoe carried by the vehicle, engages a trolleycontactor 'C with power ofi? to operate the switch point in onedirection, usually the straight ahead course, or for the curve coursewith power on, while thetrolley wheel is in engagement with thecontactor during course of travel thereover.

Two inter-connected cooperating switch relays A, B are employed forapplying, controlling the time period for application of current for theswitching operation after a trolley wheel or current collector-haspassed through the contactor C, -and for interrupting said current.Although the basic' principle of this apparatus, considered as a whole,is the same as that employed in Patent No. 1,736,801, the operation ofthese relays differs principally from the corresponding ones of thepatent-in that magneticblowout armature tion of armature BI, andimpresses positive potential on armature AI, wire 2I, solenoid 22,contact B2, terminals I'II, I12 and solenoid of relay B, and terminal I5to which positive potential has been applied through wire I3, contactII, strip E, wire 8, winding of KL, wires 6 and 5 connected permanentlyto trolley T. Thus relay B has been and remains shunted out untilcontactor strip E is dropped, incident to the passing of the trolleywheel, and when armature BI is picked up, as explained hereinafter, andimpresses positive potential from contact B2, armature BI, wire 23,armature 9 and then through either wire and solenoid S or wire 26 andsolenoid S l to ground or negative potential. Note should be made thatthe solenoid of relay A, is always in series with armature 9 of relay KLand one or the other of the solenoids of the ground magnet through anormally open circuit and that the solenoid of relay B is inactive orshunted out while AI and A2 are engaged, and in series with solenoid ofA when strip E and contact I I are disengaged. Solenoid 22 and themagnetic core thereof constitute a holding magnet for retaining AIengages =contact A2, in advance of the operacontact between B2 and BIuntil armature AI has separated from contact A2. It should also be notedthat this armature is controlled by a slow release relay by reason ofchoke or slug A2. Slugs B3, KLI are applied to relays B, KLrespectively, primarily to prevent surges of current from disturbingestablished contacts.

After strip E has separated from contact II the circuit traced in thepreceding paragraph to terminal I5'now extends through solenoid of A,terminal I6, wire I'I, resistor R, wires I 8 and 23, armature 9 and thento ground as explained above, thus armature BI is picked up and appliescurrent to S or SI of the track magnet.

The contactor C is suspended adjacent and in definite relation to thetrolley conductor T and is organized so that during the first engagementof the trolley wheel with movable strip E of the contactor, as ittravels from left to right, with the controller set for .drawing powerto the vehicle motor, a heavy current passes through wires 5, 6,solenoid of relay KL, wire 8, strip E, trolley wheel, and the motor tothe negative side of the circuit as shown in Fig. 2. This causesarmature 9 of relay KL to be raised into engagement with front contactIll, thereby selecting the circuit for the energization of tracksolenoids S for operating switch point SP by establishing a circuit,described hereinafter. As the trolley wheel progresses along strip E,the latter is raised to make contact between itself and contact point 'lI,

which places positive potential on wire [3, terminal [5 of relay A andterminals lH, H2 of relay B. Since terminal l6 of relay A is connectedthrough wire 11, resistor R, wires i8, 23, armature 9, contact point In,holding magnet 9A, and wire 25, through the track solenoid S to ground,slow release relay A, equipped with a magnetic blowout, is energized andarmature AI will be picked up to efiect contact with contact point A2.Since this contact point is connected through wires l9 and 5 with thetrolley wire T, a positive potential is established through armature AI,wire 21, holding magnet 22, contact pointBZ. Thus, it

will be noted that relay B is inactive by reason i of its terminalsbeing subjected to positive potential, however, upon the trolley wheelpassing from contact strip E, the latter will be dropped, whichdisengages it from contact point ll thereby removing positive potentialfrom the terminals of relay B. At this juncture, by reason of positivepotential being impressed on terminal I'll, and terminal I12 beingconnected to terminal l5 of relay A, the latter remains energized, sinceenergizing current is now flowing through auxiliary slow release relayB, armature BI is picked up and efiects contact with contact point B2.Concurrently therewith a flow of positive potential current passesthrough armature BI, wire 23, armature 9, contact point Ill, holdingmagnet 9A, wire and solenoid of the track magnet S to ground, therebyactuating plunger P, which in turn moves switch point SP to effecttravel of the vehicle to the turnout or curve track.

When the trolley wheel engages strip E without drawing power, i. e.power off, relatively low amperage current flows through the circuitincluding wires 5, 6, solenoid of KL having only a few turns of heavywire, wire 8, contact strip E, trolley wheel to ground or negativepotential through the lights, compressor and/or heater. Since a currentof low value will be flowing through the KL relay armature 9 will not beraised from the lower or back contact 9B. The track solenoid actuatingcurrent will fiow from trolley T, wires 5, l9, contact A2, armature Al,wire 2|, solenoid 22, contact B2, armature Bl, wire 23, armature 9,contact 9B, wire 28 through solenoid SI of the track magnet to groundthereby actuating the plunger P of the switch point for the straighttrack course of the vehicle carrying the trolley wheel. In the event apreceding vehicle has also operated the track magnet and the switchpoint to the straight track, the latter operating with power off willnot change the position of the switch point. 1

It will be perceived from the foregoing description that I have provideda simple and positive arrangement of electrical units organized into acomplete system for throwing the point of a track switch in response tothe engagement and disengagement of the collector of a Vehicle. Also,that the system embraces a control, which accomplishes not only thestated objectives, but protects the solenoid of the switch pointthrowing element against excessive application of current.

It will beevident to those skilled in the incident art that variousmodifications may be made in the parts herein described and still fallwithin the scope of my invention, as for instance, a conventional rotarymotor may be employed to actuate the switch-point in place of thereciprocating solenoid actuated plunger, and the contactor with itslifting beam, or strip E may be replaced by any one of a number of othersuitable contactors,

consequently, I wish to be limited only by the claims presented herein.

I claim:

1. A switch operating system comprising, in combination, a track switch;electrically-operated means for actuating the said track switch; atrolley conductor T; a source of power including the trolley conductorT; a trolley contactor C located adjacent the trolley conductor '1 andhaving a normally-open switch E-ll adapted to be closed by a currentcollector passing the said contactor; a first retarded-release relayhaving a normally-open switch Al-A2 and a relatively high-resistanceoperating coil which, when energized, closes the switch Al-A2; a secondretarded-release relay having a normally-open switch BlB2, a relativelyhigh-resistance operating coil B which, when energized, closes theswitch Bl-B2, and a relatively low-resistance coil 22, which, whenenergized, retains the switch BI-B2 closed; a first circuit forenergizing the coil A to close the switch Al-AZ including, the source ofpower, the switch E-l l of contactor C and the coil A of the firstrelay; a second circuit for energizing the coil B to close the switchB|-B2 including, the source of power, the switch AIA2 of the firstrelay, the coil 22 of the second relay, the coil B of the second relayand the coil A of the first relay; a third circuit for energizing theelectrically-operated means of the trackswitch and for energizing thecoil 22 of the second relay including, the source of power, the switchAl-A2 of the first relay, the coil 22 of the second relay, the switchBIB2 of the second relay, and the said electrically-operated means;means operatively associated with the switch EH of the contactor C, andthe coil B of the said second relay, for retaining the coil Bdeenergized during the closure of the switch E- -l l and meansoperatively associated with the switch BI-B2 of the said second relay,and the coil A of the said first relay, for deenergizing the coil A uponclosing of the switch Bl-BZ, whereby the electrically-operated means ofthe track-switch is energized for a predetermined time as determined bythe closing of the switch BI-B2 and the-subsequent opening of the switchA|-A2 a predetermined time after the closing of the said switch B l B2.

2. A switch operating system comprising, in combination, a track switch;electrically-operated means for actuating the track switch; a trolleyconductor; a source of power including the trolley conductor; a trolleycontactor located adjacent the trolley conductor and having anormally-open switch adapted to be closed by a current collector passingthe said contactor; a first relay having a normally-open switch and anoperating coil, which, when energized, closes the normally-open switchof the said first relay; 3. second relay having a normally-open switchand an operating coil which, when energized closes the normally-openswitch of the said second relay; a normally-deenergized holding-coilopera.- tively associated with the switch of the second relay which,when energized, retains the switch of the second relay closed; a firstcircuit for energizing the coil of relay A including, the source ofpower, the switch of the trolley contactor, and the coil of the firstrelay; a second circuit for energizing the coil 'of the second relayincluding, the source of power, the switch of the said first relay, theholding coil, the coil of the second relay and the coil of the firstrelay; a-third circuit for energizing the electrically operated meansof,

the track-switch and for energizing the said holding coil including, thesource of power, the switch of the first relay and the saidelectricallyoperated means; a shunt circuit operatively associated withthe switch of the contactor and the coil of the second relay, forretaining the coil of the second relay deenergized during the closure ofthe switch of the said contactor; and a shunt circuit operativelyassociated with the operating coils of the first and second relays andthe switch of the said second relay, for deenergizing each of the saidoperating coils upon closing of the switch of the said second relay,thereby to open the switch of the first relay for deenergizing theholding coil for the switch of the second relay and for deenergizing theelectrically-operated means of the track switch.

3. A switch operating system comprising, in combination, a track switch;electrically-operated means for actuating the said track switch; atrolley conductor; a source of power; a trolley contactor locatedadjacent the trolley conductor and having a normally-open switch closedby a collector passing the said contactor; a first relay having anormally-deenergized operating-coil and a normally-open switch closed bythe energization of the said operating coil of the said first relay;means operatively associated with the switch of the first relay, fordelaying opening of the said switch of the first relay for apredetermined time after the deenergization of the operating coil of thesaid first relay; a second relay having a normally-deenergizedoperating-coil and a normally-open switch closed by the energization ofthe operating coil of the said second relay; a noImally-deenergizedholding-coil operatively associated with the switch of the second relaywhich, when energized, retains the switch of the said second relayclosed; means operatively associated with the switch of the trolleycontactor and the operating coil of the first relay, for energizing theoperating coil of the said first relay in response to the closing of theswitch of the said contactor; means operatively associated with theswitch of the first relay and the operating coils of the first andsecond relays, for energizing the operating coils of the said first andsecond relays in response to the closing of the switch of the said firstrelay; means operatively associated with the switch of the trolleycontactor and the coil of the said second relay, for retaining the coilof the second relay deenergized during the closure of the swtch of thesaid contactor; a circuit for energizing the electrically-operated meansof the track switch during the closure of the switches of the first andand second relays and the switches of the first and second relays, fordeenergizing the operating coils of the first and second relays duringthe closure of the switches of the said first and second relays, therebyto open the switch of the first relay for deenergizing the said holdingcoil and thus to open the switch of the said second relay, whereby theelectrically-operated means of the track-switch is energized for apredeter mined time as determined by the closing of the switch of thesecond relay and the subsequent opening of the switch of the firstrelay.

4. A switch operating system comprising in combination, a track switch;electrically-operated means for actuating the said track switch; asource of power including positive and negative conductors; a trolleycontact located adjacent the positive conductor and electricallyconnected second relays including the source of power, the

normally-open switches of the first and second relays and theelectrically-operated means of the track switch; means operativelyassociated with the switches of the first and second relays, and thesaid holding coil, for energizing the said holding coil during theclosure of the switches of the first and second relays; meansoperatively associated with the operating coils of the first to thepositive conductor by a collector passing the said contactor; a firstrelay having a normally-deenergized operating-coil and a normally-openswitch closed by the energization of the operating coil of the saidfirst relay; means operatively associated with the switch of the firstrelay, for delaying opening of the said switch of the first relay for apredetermined time after the deenergization of the operating coil of thesaid first relay; a second relay having a normally-deenergized operatingcoil and a normally-open switch closed by the energization of theoperating coil of the said second relay; a normally-deenergizedholding-coil o'peratively associated with the switch of the second relaywhich, when energized, retains the switch of the said second relayclosed; a first wire connection electrically connecting the said trolleycontact and one terminal of each of the said operating coils; a secondwire connection electrically connecting the other terminal of theoperating coil of the first relay, one terminal of the switch of thesecond relay, and one terminal of the electrically-operated means of thetrack switch; a third wire connection electrically connecting the otherterminal of the electrically-operated means of the track switch and thenegative conductor; a fourth wire connection electrically connecting oneterminal of the switch of the first relay and the positive conductor; afifth wire connection electrically connecting the other terminal of theswitch of the first relay and oneterminal of the said holding coil; anda sixth wire connection electrically connecting the other terminal ofthe switch of the second relay, the other terminal of the operating coilof the second relay, and the other terminal of the said holding coil,whereby the operating coil of the first relay is energized when thetrolley contact is electrically-connected to the positive conductor, andthe operating coils of the first and second relays energized when thesaid trolley contact is subsequently disconnected from the positiveconductor, thereby to close for a predetermined time the switches of thefirst and second relays to energize the electricallyoperated means ofthe track switch.

SAMUEL S. STOLP.

